Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Crescent Braid

Now that I am trying to clean out my fridge and freezer for the upcoming move, I decided it was time to use the leftover maple brown sugar ham that I had stowed away in the freezer. The need to get rid of existing food and keep meals simple led me to this recipe. I love recipes that take literally almost no time but are a bit more appetizing than hot dogs and grilled cheese (don’t misunderstand, we eat hot dogs and grilled cheese frequently around these parts, but I can only take so much of it, you know what I mean?).

This recipe was so easy and my kids were right in there with me mixing up the ingredients and helping me braid the crescent dough. If I were a pastry genius, I would have whipped up my own crescent dough, but hey, a woman has got her limits and homemade crescent dough is mine. The refrigerated crescent dough was my choice, but if the thought makes you cringe, feel free to use homemade roll/bread dough for the base. This recipe is versatile to use whatever your preference may be. The finished braid was extremely delicious with the smoky flavor of the ham, tang of the mustard, and creaminess of the swiss cheese. My kids ate it right up, broccoli and all, and I already have planned to make it again before we move. It was that good.

In a large bowl, combine ham, broccoli, parsley, mustard and cheese. Stir well. (I actually found it was easiest to use my hands and mix everything up to evenly distribute the mustard and parsley.)

Unroll the crescent roll dough and arrange flat on a n 11X17 baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough (adapt or eliminate this step if using the Recipe Creations or using homemade bread/crescent dough). Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the filling along the center strip (it will be piled high but the strips will reach over the mound of filling when it is braided). Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

36 Responses to Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Crescent Braid

Hey those cheesy ham and broccoli crescent Braid look yummi, I love eating breakfast and always try new fast food recipes. I would love to try the cheesy ham for breakfast. that looks tasty. broccoli crescent is also a snacks food option and can make a satisfying breakfast. The Photos are amazing… I am already feeling hungry. thank you for shearing your post.

This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. I use honey mustard instead of dijon and add in fresh sliced mushrooms as well. I use two packages of crescent rolls and make a ring on my pizza stone. Yours is a beautiful presentation, but the ring makes it a quick simple dinner.

When we moved a couple of months ago I freezed a bunch of meals (casseroles, lasagna)ahead of time for once the kitchen was packed up but we hadn’t left yet. We actually didn’t use them all but were able to call up the church and donate them to some less fortunate families at our church.elizabeth

I love that this is a ‘little to no time’ recipe for you. That category only has one recipe in it for my family-spaghetti. Not with bread, not with meat. Just noodles and canned sauce, with a can of fruit and a steamer package of veggies from the freezer-and that’s if they’re lucky.

Mine came out looking really ugly (I blame the generic brand crescent dough and also that I didn’t measure any ingredients and think I must have doubled the innards), but tasting delicious! Thanks for a yummy recipes that even my picky daughter would eat!

I made this the other night for my fam, with a few substitutions because I am allergic to ham. I had a lot of leftover turkey so I mixed that with leftover stuffing, ranch dressing and the broccoli and made it as you suggested. I am a hero in the house thanks to you! Yours turned out much prettier than mine but the taste was great! Thanks!

Hey Mel, Thanks so much for all your great recipes. Sometimes I find it easier to make recipes correctly if there are step by step photos. I know that takes more work, but this is the 2nd time I’ve tried this recipe and my “braid” is never a braid. Just a suggestion. Thanks again for all the delicious recipes!

I made this tonight with the french bread roll recipe, cuz I just couldn’t figure out how to do it with crescent rolls. It was SO yummy!! I was worried that it wouldn’t be flavorful enough, with only a little bit of mustard, but it was PERFECTLY flavored! Just the right amount of mustard-y deliciousness. When my husband sat down to dinner, he said, “Wow, I didn’t know we were having such a nice dinner tonight!” Little did he know that it was actually very easy! I love these braid dinners! Keep ’em coming!

I have made the BBQ Chicken Braid and a Pizza Braid, but I’d love to try the Ham & Broccoli Braid. Do you think if you made these ahead of time and froze them prior to cooking, they would still work out alright?

Made this last night for dinner using your french bread roll recipe in place of the crescent rolls and it was SO good. I doubled the filling ingredients so I would use the full roll recipe and then froze the second braid. The other change I made was to use honey dijon mustard because I was worried the regular dijon would be too spicy for the kids. It was a big hit, everyone liked it. Served with the Honey Lime Fruit Salad which I’ll go comment on now – haha 😉